Chapter 20

"What a beautiful day." Her voice was soft and kind, just loud enough for him to hear since he was so close.

He looked to his left to see the blanket they were laying on and then her. She smiled at the sky, colours mixing together as the sunset. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she breathed, calm and even. She must have felt his eyes on her, so she turned to look at him. Her smile grew, and her cheeks flushed with a soft colour, somewhat dulled by the sunset's pinks, oranges and reds.

Sitting up on one elbow, he kept eye contact with her, and she copied his movements expectantly. Shuffling closer, although they were already close, he lifted a hand to the side of her head. He combed his fingers through her hair a few times before cupping her cheek. Their breath mingling between them, he leaned nearer as her eyes shut and her chin tilted upward.

"I love you," he said against her lips.

"I love you, too." Serana answered sweetly.

No sooner did he feel her soft lips barely brush his own…

"Your Grace." Coco gently nudged him awake. "We're back in the city."

"Hmm? Oh, thank you, Coco. I didn't realise I dozed off." Jellal responded with a drowsy voice.

"You were off in your own world for a while, but I think you dozed off about twenty minutes after we left the lab." Coco smiled and spoke softly.

"I would like to write to Serana, but it might be too late by the time we get back and get everything sorted." He mainly mused to himself but said it out loud anyway.

"I've already written most of the report, so there isn't much you'll need to do except add your thoughts and comments." Coco gestured to her notebook, which she had carried everywhere with her.

"That's what you were scribbling on the way back?" He continued when she nodded with a smile. "I'm sure you deserve a pay rise, Coco. Please remind me of this once we get this new technology going. Our economy will boom, and you deserve much more than you get."

"I'm happy to be of service, Your Grace," Coco said bashfully, but he knew she was grateful for the praise.

They arrived back at the palace and disembarked from the carriage. As they walked inside, Coco reviewed her notes so that Jellal could write a report and pass it on to the Court. This would be a perfect opportunity to write it up since he had made sure to not schedule anything else for today, but he did want to write to Serana tomorrow at the latest. Being committed as he was, he knew that the report came first, so he would hopefully get it done soon and then he would still have some energy left to write a nice letter to the woman he loved so dearly.

It would only be a few more weeks until Veruze would be reopening and she would be back in the Capital after that. Hopefully, Serana would also agree to accept the apprenticeship from Dreyer so that she would come and live in the Palace. Maybe he would be brave enough to ask her to stay in his chambers with him so he could wake up next to her every morning.

He let out a soft sigh as the cart entered the Palace gates, doing his best to be patient until he saw her again…

Serana was currently being laughed at by Robin, who had seen her poke her head up to look out the window at least twelve times in the last fifteen minutes. She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. The King was due to arrive, and she was rather impatiently waiting for him. They hadn't seen each other since she visited just under 4 months ago, and that was only for just under a day. Her nervousness wasn't as intense as it had been going to the Capital, but she was nervous about Veruze's reopening going off without a hitch. The formal reopening was today, and then she would return to the Capital with Jellal. She'd chosen an emerald-green dress with longer flowing sleeves and an uneven, rounded hem that rose to her thigh on the left and lowered to her calf on the left. It had a rounded neckline and a fabric belt tied around her waist. It had cost her a decent chunk of her paycheck, but she just hoped Jellal liked it.

Things had gone well with the construction, which had finished only just behind schedule. Thankfully, Robin had the foresight to organise the reopening one month after construction was due to be completed, leaving them with two weeks to get everything sorted. He was an incredibly organised man, and she'd learned so much from him through her work here. The woman she was filling in for, Cassandra, was back early, and now that Veruze had been repaired, there was much less maintenance to be done. She had been happy to return to work, and her baby also seemed to enjoy being in the office. Cassandra was so pleased to return to a tidy office with everything ideally in place and had even come back early to help them organise the reopening celebration. Despite her having a somewhat difficult pregnancy with constant morning sickness for months and then difficulties eating and high blood pressure, both she and her newborn son, Varl, were in fantastic health. She'd recovered quickly after the birth and was keen to get back to work since she was feeling so much better. Varl was a happy baby and enjoyed visiting the museum with his mother. Robin also adored Varl and would carry him around on a daily tour of the grounds. Seranan had gotten to know Robin and Cassandra a lot over the last year or so, but she was looking forward to returning to the Capital.

Since her last visit, she'd given much thought to Jellal's offer to become Dreyer's apprentice and work in the Palace. She'd not mentioned it in her last letter, but she had decided to take the offer if it was still on the table. He'd written to her two weeks ago, which was on schedule, and she guessed right that he would just wait until he saw her in person. Although he'd said he wanted to write to her weekly, she didn't want him to write letters to her every waking minute. Thus, she'd talked him down to a fortnightly schedule so he could get some work done in between. Her heart raced every time the mail arrived, and Robin had been able to read her like a book every time mail from Jellal had come. Cassandra had laughed brightly at her when she scrambled to open his letters.

Serana couldn't hold in the gasp as she saw the King's carriage come into sight. Robin chuckled at her, making her roll her eyes once again as she got up from her chair and prepared to greet them. They pulled up out the front of the office, and Jellal practically bounded out of the carriage. He glanced at Veruze behind the office building but seemed to be looking for something or someone in particular.

Pushing the door open, she sprinted the ten or so metres to him and flew into his waiting arms as he smiled brightly at her. The force almost knocked him over and thus nearly took her with him, but he managed to retain his balance.

"I missed you." He said desperately as he clung to her tightly, his breath fanning through her hair.

"I missed you, too." She answered breathlessly, snuggled into his broad chest as much as possible.

It was better than she'd hoped to have him so close like this again. They hadn't seen each other in ages, and the last time had been more than a dream. She had kept her attraction to him under tight wraps when she was in the Capital and had probably done a lousy job of it, in hindsight. Even if she had, she still had managed to end up here, warm in his embrace.

"I've missed your smell, your touch." He pulled back to kiss her each cheek. "I've missed all of you. Please tell me I don't have to say goodbye to you again."

"You don't. I'll be coming back to the Capital with you." She answered, grinning like an idiot.

"Will you stay in the Palace? Even if you don't wish to take the apprenticeship, I still want you at my side." Jellal asked, staring at her with an intensity she'd not seen from him before. He was asking her to move in so casually!

"I hadn't thought about it. I figured I'd go back to Fairy Tail when I got back." She said, unsure if it would upset him. "I was going to accept the apprenticeship, though," Serana added with a smile.

"Really?!" His boyish excitement made her heart thump loudly.

"Yes. I was going to tell you later, but since the topic has come up." Serana chuckled at him happily. "I have to go get everything ready. Is there anything you need from me?"

"Just you." His suggestive response made her blush, and she finally separated from his hug.

"I'll talk to you later," Serana said before dashing off back to her desk to help Robin with all the last-minute things.

The King would make a speech and formally announce the reopening in one hour, and guests started to arrive. Serana would greet them, hand them a pamphlet with information, and direct them through the gate of the restored Veruze. Many of the people who were in attendance were those who had made donations for the restoration itself. She'd done her best to learn the names and faces of those who had made more significant donations so that she could personally thank them for their contributions when they arrived. Once the guests had all arrived and done a brief tour of the grounds, they all were directed to the courtyard outside.

Jellal looked gorgeous up on the dais and waited until everyone had settled before he spoke. Serana was doing her best to remember that she was leaving today. After spending so much time here, which wasn't very long in the grand scheme of things, it would take her some time to adjust once she was back in the Capital. Since they had the rest of the reopening party and the trip home, surely she would be able to consider Jellal's offer. He had hinted at her staying in the Palace in his letters, but she had assumed that was only if she took the apprenticeship with Dreyer since that came with the role. Despite being the King, she didn't think it was quite okay for him to just decide that she would live in the Palace because he wanted her to. It seemed like a slight abuse of power. Then again, why have the power if you couldn't use it to be with someone you cared about? She got the feeling that would be his argument if she mentioned it.

"Thank you all for coming today. It's incredible to see how much has changed since I was last here. I am grateful to all of you who donated your time, money, and effort to this restoration of Edolas' remarkable history. We have been on a precipice in the last twelve months, but I can see how bright our future looks. Our engineers are researching new ways to generate power with incredibly promising results thus far, which I plan to have rolled out across Edolas within the next three to five years. The reopening of Veruze, as I see it, is just the start of an invigorating and prosperous future for Edolas." Everyone was utterly silent as he spoke, enraptured by his every word.

"Since I would like everyone to stop listening to me and enjoy their evening, I will finish by thanking those who have made this project possible. May I please ask our wonderful donors in attendance tonight to stand?" He requested politely and lifted his hands in a suggestive gesture.

Serana watched as the donors stood, the majority of whom she recognised. Jellal smiled broadly and clapped his hands together.

"Please give all of our donors a round of applause. This wouldn't have been possible without your selfless generosity. As an extra thank you, I have gifts being dispatched to your homes over the next two weeks. On that note, Lulfe Magnus." He waited until the sculptor stood, seated in the second row on the opposite side to Serana. "He has put many hours into creating to-scale models of Veruze, like the one at the front. These will be sent to each of our donors in thanks. I would also like to thank him for his consulting on the construction and for donating his time." Everyone clapped again as he gestured towards the small model on the table to his right on the dais. Jellal turned towards his staff, seated in the same row.

"Our head of construction, Shyl Viktepes, and all his hard-working staff." A considerable group from behind Serana stood, and she saw that most of them felt a little awkward since they didn't usually get such recognition.

"My gracious and compassionate staff, who have made every effort to assist me to ensure this project had all the required resources." Serana clapped a little louder and saw Coco blush faintly.

"Robin Agnia, the chief curator and museum director. Cassandra Zephina, the museum facility manager. Serana Redwyn, the curatorial assistant and project coordinator." Jellal caught her eye and smiled warmly as he clapped for her, and she stood after Cassandra had nudged her with her elbow.

"Thank you, Your Grace," Robin said and bowed in response, close enough for the King to hear him since they were seated front and centre.

"Lastly, I would like to thank every single one of you for attending this celebration. It is lovely to see how many people care about Edolas' unique and important history and the crucial need to preserve it. Thank you. All of you." Jellal stopped clapping before bowing to a right angle and staying there for a few seconds.

Everyone clapped for him but quietened when he straightened back up. Serana was pleased to see how happy he looked and couldn't help but smile.

"Please, enjoy the celebration!" He grinned brightly at the crowd and watched them stand and disperse from their seats to continue looking at the restored site.

Serana had organised the part-time and casual museum staff to tour the site and discuss the importance of specific areas and the work required for the restoration. Some of the construction crew had offered to volunteer their time to help on the tours, which she thought was terrific. It showed their pride in their work and the incredible results. Her duties would take her to the entry to the site from the museum, where the heaviest foot traffic would be throughout the night.

Robin found her within a few minutes and gave her a beaming smile before giving her a big hug, which she returned with a laugh.

"I'm so grateful for all of your help throughout this, and you will be greatly missed!" Robin said during their hug, sounding half-happy and half-sad.

"I will miss you, too. Thank you for all that you've taught me as well. I knew I would learn a lot, but I'm still so surprised at all I've taken on here. I appreciate your faith in me doing a good job." Serana smiled as they stepped back from their hug.

"You were one of my best students! I do hope that you decide to apprentice under Dreyer. You will truly flourish in such an environment and reach your potential with his tutelage." Robin encouraged her, and she realised that she'd not actually told him she'd decided to take the job in the busyness of the last few weeks.

"I've decided to do it, and I'm very excited to keep learning. I must say, I never expected to be doing something like this after leaving the Army. I had no idea where I would end up, to be honest. But I'm pleased it's here." Serana had done her best to continue showing her gratitude to Robin for offering her the job and being so kind to her while she was here.

"You're welcome here anytime, and please do visit us soon! Give me a wave when you're leaving, okay?" He asked, and they hugged again before Robin headed off to speak to some donors a few metres away.

The hours passed, and the sun lowered in the sky as the celebration drew to a close. Serana had gotten a chance to eat a small bite of the food brought around by the Palace staff, and she was thoroughly exhausted. Once most of the guests had left the site, Robin ushered her to find the King and to head off since they had a few hours' ride back to the Capital.

When she found him, she saw that he was saying goodbye to Shyl, the head of construction, and he was shaking his hand appreciatively. Once Shyl had turned to leave, she noticed that no one else was queueing up to speak to him, so she figured it was okay to distract him briefly. Moving to stand beside him quietly, he grinned at her, noticing her immediately.

"Are you finished now?" He asked her with quiet anticipation.

"All done. I've also packed up all my things in the cottage." She gazed up at him adoringly.

"Briyana has already picked it up for you. We can leave whenever you're ready." Jellal replied and shuffled closer to her so he could put his hand on her waist.

"I've already said bye to Robin and Cass, so I'm good to go." She nuzzled closer to him and put her hand on his chest since no one was paying attention to them.

"Then may I escort you back to your new home?" Jellal said as he stepped back and gracefully held his hand towards her.

"Yes, please. Your Grace." She answered with a playful curtsy that made him chuckle.

Serana accepted his arm, linking hers through it as they walked towards Coco so that they could head off. The trip back to the Capital would take over three hours, but she suspected she might doze off to sleep throughout since she was so wrecked. Coco escorted them back to their carriage and opened the door for them. She closed it after they'd gotten in, and Serana wondered if she was purposely giving them some privacy. Her bags had been placed inside, and she mentally thanked Briyana for getting them.

After taking off his coat, Jellal quickly flopped down heavily, quickly losing his royal composure. She sat beside him, and he smiled as he put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close.

"I'm glad you decided to work with Dreyer. You'll do a fantastic job." He said softly after pressing a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you. I know I'll have a lot to learn, but I'm looking forward to it." She couldn't hide her bashful excitement from her voice.

"Would you…" He looked at her for a long moment before he continued. "Never mind." He dropped his chin to his chest.

"What is it? Please, tell me." She encouraged him.

"I wanted to…to ask if you would like to share my chambers in the Palace. But I realise that might be a bit fast, so I understand if you don't want to do it immediately." Jellal turned so she could only see his side profile, looking nervous as he spoke.

"Shit. I hadn't even thought about my accommodations since I assumed I would go back to the guild until everything was sorted at the Palace." She mentioned this earlier tonight, but he'd been thinking about it for a while.

"I'm sorry. We can talk about that later. A room is already set up for you near the library, so you can stay there." He nodded in understanding, but she didn't want him to give up. She just honestly hadn't thought about it yet since her focus had been on the reopening going well.

"Well, actually… I would like to stay with you. If you want me to." Serana felt herself blush.

"I would love you to." He answered breathlessly, finally looking at her.

Jellal swallowed thickly, and she felt his chest expand with his breath. She saw his eyes lower slightly, looking at her mouth, and she smiled in shy happiness. He cupped her cheek and kissed her softly until they finally needed to breathe.

"I can't describe. How happy I am. To finally have you. To myself." Jellal said between kisses, making her giggle.

"I'm all yours." She felt slightly embarrassed saying it, never having felt like this before.

"And I, yours," Jellal responded and kissed her again.

On the trip back to the Palace, they ended up snoozing in each other's warm embrace…